Subsidies in Germany: A Stocktaking for 2000 to 2004 (original publication in German)

Subsidization policy is intensively discussed in Germany. The paper demonstrates the extent of subsidization in Germany. Subsidies are defined as the sum of tax expenditures and those government expenditures which distort the structure of the economy; financial aid is granted to different branches or regions by the EU, the federal government, the states (Länder), the local authorities, and the Federal Labor Agency. The definitions are explained. The extent and the structure of the subsidies in the period 2000 to 2004 are presented. The results are compared to the data in the official subsidy reports of the federal government.